Pumpkin Side Dish - Konkani Style | Pumpkin Sukke (Duddya Sukke)

Pumpkin is the flavor of the season. I see Pumpkins in all shapes and sizes appearing at the local grocery store. Lucky me, our local grocery store sells slices of Pumpkin. They are individually cling wrapped and packed which makes grub-for-two a snap.

Ma makes use of Pumpkin (Duddi in GSB Konkani) for Gajbaje, Duddya Sukke, Duddya Phodi. Recently, I was craving for the sweet and spicy flavor of Sukke. Sukke is a quintessential Konkani dish and typically has a semi-dry to dry texture. More often than not, its served as a side dish. The highlight of this dish is the finish, which is garlic seasoning aided with coconut oil. It certainly offers a different layer of flavor to the dish. Since its made with Coconut, I prefer to pair it with a lighter dish like Tomato Rasam (Saaru) etc. One could also pair it with Phulkas/ Rotis. If you like the marriage of sweet and spicy, then you are ought to love this simple dish.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING ALL!!

~ Duddya Sukke ~
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
Yellow Pumpkin (skin peeled, diced into chunks) - 3 cups
Jaggery - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Coconut Oil

For Sukke Masala -
Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp
Urad Dal - 1 tbsp
Red Chillies - 3-4
Grated Coconut (fresh or frozen) - 3/4 cup

For Seasoning -
Garlic cloves - 5-6
Coconut Oil

Method:

Wash the Pumpkin and trim the tough skin from the surface. This can be a bit difficult considering that the skin is a tough one. Dice the Pumpkin into chunks of 1/2" each and set aside.

In a pan, heat a teaspoon of oil and roast Coriander seeds, Urad dal, Red chillies on low-to-medium flame. Allow to cool completely. Grind to a smooth paste with grated coconut and little water. Save the rinsed water as reserve to be added later.

In the same pan, heat the ground paste and add the Pumpkin pieces now. Mix gently so that the masala coats all the pieces evenly. Bring to a boil, add the reserved water, add salt, jaggery and cover with a lid. Let it simmer and cook till completely done and the nature of this dish is semi-dry to dry.

In a small frying pan, heat few teaspoons of Coconut oil. Crush the garlic cloves lightly and add to the hot oil. Allow the garlic to sear and brown lightly. Pour this seasoning all over cooked Pumpkin in masala. Mix gently and cover with a lid. Serve hot and pair with Tomato Rasam and cooked rice of choice or Phulkas.